King County, WA

County

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2024 Population
2.29M
US Senator
Patty Murray
Democratic Party
US Senator
Maria Cantwell
Democratic Party
2024 Median Age
37.4
0.268% 1-year increase
2024 Poverty Rate
8.59%
2.58% 1-year increase
2024 Median Household Income
$124,746
2.13% 1-year growth
2024 Median Property Value
$859,900
6% 1-year growth
2024 Employed Population
1.26M
0.919% 1-year growth

About

None of the households in King County, WA reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

86.5% of the residents in King County, WA are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in King County, WA are University of Washington-Seattle Campus (15,667 degrees awarded in 2023), Seattle University (2,525 degrees), and Bellevue College (1,934 degrees).

In 2024, the median property value in King County, WA was $859,900, and the homeownership rate was 55.4%.

Most people in King County, WA drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 27.6 minutes. The average car ownership in King County, WA was 2 cars per household.

About the photo: The view on Rattle Snake Ridge.
Photo by Chad McDonald
United StatesWashingtonSeattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA

Population & Diversity

King County, WA is home to a population of 2.29M people, from which 86.5% are citizens. As of 2024, 25.6% of King County, WA residents were born outside of the country (585k people).

In 2024, there were 2.58 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (1.21M people) in King County, WA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 470k Asian (Non-Hispanic) and 147k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

86.5%
2024 Citizenship
86.8%
2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 86.5% of King County, WA residents were US citizens, which is lower than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in King County, WA was 86.8%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in King County, WA compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in King County, WA
  1. White (Non-Hispanic)
    1.21M ± 2.41k
  2. Asian (Non-Hispanic)
    470k ± 3.27k
  3. Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
    147k ± 2.42k
11%
Hispanic Population
252k people

In 2024, there were 2.58 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (1.21M people) in King County, WA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 470k Asian (Non-Hispanic) and 147k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

11% of the people in King County, WA are hispanic (252k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in King County, WA as a share of the total population.

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Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the County level, so we are showing data for Washington.
Most Common Origin
  1. Mexico
    248,556 ± 12,042 people
  2. India
    107,324 ± 7,987 people
  3. China
    89,838 ± 7,316 people

In 2023, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Washington was Mexico, the natal country of 248,556 Washington residents, followed by India with 107,324 and China with 89,838.

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Foreign-Born Population

25.6%
2024 Foreign-Born Population
585k people
24.9%
2023 Foreign-Born Population
564k people

As of 2024, 25.6% of King County, WA residents (585k people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in King County, WA was 24.9%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in King County, WA compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period
  1. Vietnam
    25,256 ± 1,114
  2. Gulf War (2001-)
    21,747 ± 1,279
  3. Gulf War (1990s)
    12,927 ± 854

King County, WA has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.16 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in King County, WA.

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Economy

The economy of King County, WA employs 1.26M people. In 2024, the largest industries in King County, WA were Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services (227,948 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (150,442 people), and Retail Trade (148,767 people), and the highest paying industries were Information ($168,616), Management of Companies & Enterprises ($144,321), and Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($137,489).

Employment

Occupations

1.26M
2024 Value
± 9,575
0.919%
1 Year growth
± 1.07%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in King County, WA grew at a rate of 0.919%, from 1.25M employees to 1.26M employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in King County, WA, are Management Occupations (187,318 people), Computer & Mathematical Occupations (161,317 people), and Office & Administrative Support Occupations (99,218 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of King County, WA.

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Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Washington.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Washington (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

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Industries

Employment by Industries

1.26M
2024 Value
± 9,575
0.919%
1 Year growth
± 1.07%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in King County, WA grew at a rate of 0.919%, from 1.25M employees to 1.26M employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in King County, WA, are Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services (227,948 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (150,442 people), and Retail Trade (148,767 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of King County, WA, though some of these residents may live in King County, WA and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

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Median Earnings by Industry

$89,348
Median earning men ± $1,011
$63,176
Median earning women ± $884

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Information ($185,709), Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($143,009), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($107,912).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Information ($138,711), Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($94,613), and Public Administration ($83,427).

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Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Washington.
Y-Axis
3.62%
Year-over-year growth
Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 3.58M people employed in Washington. This represents a 3.62% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 10.3%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in Washington.

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Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments
  1. 7,560
    Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
  2. 4,633
    Health Care and Social Assistance
  3. 4,424
    Construction

The visualization shows the distribution of establishments by industry and by size according to the number of employees.

The visualization shows the number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

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Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll
  1. $44M
    Information
  2. $18.3M
    Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
  3. $15.5M
    Management of Companies and Enterprises

The chart shows the total annual payroll and the average annual payroll by industry.

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Civics

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Washington went to Kamala Harris with 57.2% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (39%), followed by Robert Kennedy (1.4%).

Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell are the senators currently representing the state of Washington. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

Washington is currently represented by 10 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Elections

Voting results are not available for King County, WA. Showing the available data for Washington.
2024 Election Results
  1. Kamala Harris (57.2%)
    Democratic Party
  2. Donald J. Trump (39%)
    Republican Party
  3. Robert Kennedy (1.4%)
    Independent Party

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Washington went to Kamala Harris with 57.2% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (39%), followed by Robert Kennedy (1.4%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Washington for each registered party from 1976 to 2024.

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Senator Elections

US Senators from Washington

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for Washington.
Patty Murray
Senator from Washington3
Assumed office on January 3, 1993
Maria Cantwell
Senator from Washington1
Assumed office on January 3, 2001

Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell are the senators currently representing Washington.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in Washington over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

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Education

In 2023, universities in King County, WA awarded 35,519 degrees. The student population of King County, WA in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 63,236 male students and 69,900 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in King County, WA are White (14,138 and 45.7%), Asian (6,772 and 21.9%), Hispanic or Latino (3,819 and 12.3%), and Two or More Races (2,532 and 8.19%).

The largest universities in King County, WA by number of degrees awarded are University of Washington-Seattle Campus (15,667 and 44.1%), Seattle University (2,525 and 7.11%), and Bellevue College (1,934 and 5.44%).

The most popular majors in King County, WA are Liberal Arts & Sciences (3,543 and 9.97%), Registered Nursing (1,307 and 3.68%), and General Business Administration & Management (1,278 and 3.6%).

The median tuition costs in King County, WA are $32,678 for private four year colleges, and $4,458 and $5,207 respectively, for public four year colleges for in-state students and out-of-state students.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University
Measure

In 2023 in King County, WA, the percentage of applicants admitted was 51.8%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 24.1%. The number of students enrolled in 2023 was 133,136 (47.5% men and 52.5% women).

The line chart  shows the evolution of the percentage of applicants admitted, admitted who enrolled or the number of students enrolled according to the option selected in the upper button.

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Enrollments by Gender and Races

Universities

In 2023 there were 133,136 students enrolled in King County, WA, 47.5% men and 52.5% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 42,885 records, of which 55.8% were women and 44.2% men.

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Completions

Concentrations

Most Common
  1. Computer Science
    843 degrees awarded
  2. Registered Nursing
    657 degrees awarded
  3. Other Research & Experimental Psychology
    496 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in King County, WA was Computer Science with 843 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Bachelors Degree from schools in King County, WA according to their major.

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Universities

Gender
Race
Largest Universities by degrees awarded
  1. University of Washington-Seattle Campus
    15,667 degrees awarded
  2. Seattle University
    2,525 degrees awarded
  3. Bellevue College
    1,934 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was University of Washington-Seattle Campus with 15,667 degrees awarded.

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Student Diversity

University

In 2023, 14,432 men were awarded degrees from institutions in King County, WA, which is 0.684 times less than the 21,087 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2023, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 14,138 degrees mean that there were 2.09 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Asian, with 6,772 degrees awarded.

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Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

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Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Universities

Private for-profit, 4-year or above ($35,100) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2023.

Public, 2-year ($740) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($921) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

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Housing & Living

The median property value in King County, WA was $859,900 in 2024, which is 2.58 times larger than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $811,200 to $859,900, a 6% increase. The homeownership rate in King County, WA is 55.4%, which is lower than the national average of 65.2%.

People in King County, WA have an average commute time of 27.6 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in King County, WA is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

In 2025, 17.9% of the population was living with severe housing problems in King County, WA. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 0.577%.

Housing

Property

$859,900
Median Property Value 2024
±$4,853
$521,805
Median Property Taxes
±$4,711

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In King County, WA the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in King County, WA compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

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Rent vs Own

55.4%
Homeownership
2024
64.2%
Homeowners with Mortgage
2024

In 2024, 55.4% of the housing units in King County, WA were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 56.1%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in King County, WA compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

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Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.
$124,746
Median Household Income
± $968
941k
Number of Households
± 7,733

In 2024, the median household income of the 941k households in King County, WA grew to $124,746 from the previous year's value of $122,148.

The following chart displays the households in King County, WA distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $200k+ range.

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Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for King County, WA is from Washington.
0.468
2023 Wage GINI in Washington
0.47
2022 Wage GINI in Washington

In 2023, the income inequality in Washington was 0.468 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.276% decline from 2022 to 2023, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Washington was lower than than the national average of 0.476. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Washington in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Washington across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

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Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024
  1. Drove Alone (50.4%)
  2. Worked At Home (29.2%)
  3. Carpooled (7.01%)

In 2024, 50.4% of workers in King County, WA drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (29.2%) and those who carpooled to work (7.01%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

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Commute Time

27.6 minutes
Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in King County, WA have a longer commute time (27.6 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 1.8% of the workforce in King County, WA have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in King County, WA compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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Car Ownership

2 cars
Average Number

The following chart displays the households in King County, WA distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in King County, WA have 2 cars.

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Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2025, 17.9% of the population was living with severe housing problems in King County, WA. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 0.577%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the population living with severe housing problems.

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Poverty & Diversity

8.59% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in King County, WA (194k out of 2.26M people) live below the poverty line, a number that is lower than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 25 - 34, followed by Females 18 - 24 and then Females 35 - 44.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in King County, WA is White, followed by Asian and Hispanic.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

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Children in Poverty

In 2025, 10.4% of the children was living in poverty in King County, WA. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 4.9%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the children living in poverty.

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Security

Crimes & Accidents

Indicator

In 2022, the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population was 341 in King County, WA. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator declined 11.6 per 100,000 population.

The graph shows the trend in the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population.

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Health

94.8% of the population of King County, WA has health coverage, with 60.7% on employee plans, 12.7% on Medicaid, 9.95% on Medicare, 10.8% on non-group plans, and 0.599% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in King County, WA see 839 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (839 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 864 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 157 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 50.6% were men and 49.4% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

839 to 1
Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in King County, WA

Primary care physicians in King County, WA see an average of 839 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (839 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in King County, WA in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

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Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 20.8% under 18 years, 25.2% between 18 and 34 years, 40.2% between 35 and 64 years, and 13.8% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 50.6% were men and 49.4% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

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Uninsured People

5.24%
Uninsured
60.7%
Employer Coverage
12.7%
Medicaid
9.95%
Medicare
10.8%
Non-Group
0.599%
Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in King County, WA grew by 0.258% from 5.23% to 5.24%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in King County, WA changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

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Health Indicators

Health Outcomes

Indicator

In 2025, the number of deaths among residents under age 18 per 100,000 population was 42 in King County, WA.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in King County, WA.

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Health Behaviors

Indicator

In 2025, the percentage of the adult population (age 18 and older) that reports a body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 30 kg/m2 (age-adjusted) was 22.8% in King County, WA.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in King County, WA.

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Clinical Care

Indicator

In 2025, the percentage of population under age 65 without health insurance was 5.73% in King County, WA.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in King County, WA.

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